At this time of year we are highly aware of the presence - or absence- of water in our gardens. Here at UCBG we grow plants from the five Mediterranean climate zones of the world (can you name them?), including our own Californian flora. Plants from these zones are adapted to survive dry, largely rainless summers, and cool, wet winters. In general they need a minimum of supplemental water.

Other areas of the collection require more irrigation, such as our Asian, Mexican and Central American, and Eastern North American Areas. In addition to irrigation, water occurs throughout the Garden in other presentations, including the Japanese Pool and Strawberry Creek, one of three creeks that run through the Garden.

The Aquatic Plant Display is constructed largely as a teaching tool for UC classes, but the lotus, pickerel weed, and other aquatic plants put on a lovely show reminding us that water can be introduced to the driest of gardens in limited and contained ways.

When you next visit, spend some time in cooling proximity to

the Garden's various aquatic displays. In addition to the ones mentioned look for another in the Herb Garden and several in the Californian Area.

The cape sundew is a carnivorous plant from the southwestern Cape region of South Africa. It is small in stature, with a rosette size of about 3-4" in diameter and 6" Tall. Its strap-like leaves are covered in tiny tentacles at the end of which is a glistening droplet of sticky sundew, designed to entice and capture small insect prey. One caught, the leaf will curl around its meal and absorb it. It is among the easiest of carnivorous plants to keep indoors. It grows very well in open air, on a sunny windowsill, as long as its pot sits in a saucer with an inch of water. Small pots of Drosera capensis are $5.00 each. Check out our nice selection of other carnivorous plants on the Plant Deck.

Tours

Summer Self-Guided Tour

Agathis australis | Kauri cone

Enjoy the final weeks of summer with the Summer Self-Guided Tour of the UC Botanical Garden. The tour, which highlights plants from around the world, is a circuit and takes about an hour. It starts and ends at the Garden Entrance. Look for the ORANGE NUMBERED MARKERS to guide you to the featured plants.

Listen to the sounds of summer! Join Chris Carmichael, the Garden's Associate Director for Collections and Horticulture, on a morning walk to discover the Garden's bird life. Advance registration required: $20, $17 members

Explore the Garden's water habitats from gently flowing creeks to still pond waters. Dip nets in pools and examine plants, insects, and microscopes. Learn about photosynthesis, decomposers, and the importance of protecting these fragile environments.

Others seek out the rarest plants; Pam Peirce has scouted old gardens to find treasures among historic Bay Area ornamentals, the ones that thrive with little or no care. She found many handsome, drought tolerant, mostly deer and snail resistant plants we can still love in our new sustainable landscapes. Her presentation is partly horticultural history, partly an exploration of plant adaptability, and partly design inspiration for using these old plants, and their newer varieties, in new settings. Her images include maps to show plant origins. (Surprisingly, many are not from mediterranean climates.) $15, $12 members

SAVE THE DATE!The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks

Sunday, September 8, 3 pm - 6 pm

The UC Botanical Garden is pleased to host author Amy Stewart who is back with her fourth New York Times bestseller, The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks. Join her for an exploration of the dizzying array of plants that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol. From the sugar cane that gives us Caribbean rum, to the juniper berries that flavor gin, to the odd and obscure fruits that flavor Italian liqueurs, Amy Stewart takes a most intoxicating perspective on the leaves, bark, seeds, roots, flowers, and fruit imbibed around the world. It's the compelling mixture of history, science, literature and humor that Stewart is known for.

You will also enjoy a unique walk through the Garden in the lovely evening hours looking at intoxicating plants with Amy Stewart and Garden docents.

And! Special guests include St. George Spirits who will be serving up delicious artisinal cocktails. Must be 21 and over to attend. $75, $60 members

UCBG members receive a 20% discount (10% member discount plus and additional 10%).

Books will be available for sale in the Shop beginning August 10. Please email gardenshop@berkeley.edu if you would like to reserve copies!-----------------------------------------------------------------

We specialize in regionally-appropriate, Mediterranean-climate plants including California natives, and plants from South Africa, Australia, the Mediterranean region, and South America. We also have the exotic and unusual. Our wide variety of plant offerings will appeal to everyone.

Manage Your Subscription

The UC Garden Clippings is a publication of the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley. You can manage your subscriptions to Garden electronic publications by choosing Update Profile/Email Address at the bottom of the newsletter. The Update Profile/Email Address feature provides subscription options, allowing you to select those garden publications you wish to receive. Select Safe Unsubscribe to remove your email address from all UCBG electronic publications. The Garden offers five email publications:

UC Garden Clippings: This is a monthly newsletter featuring garden events and stories.

Updates: Occasional brief emails are sent to highlight special garden events.

Plant Deck: This is a monthly email describing plants available for purchase in the Garden.

Garden Clubs: This is an occasional publication describing special events and opportunities for garden clubs and plant societies.

Tours: Be the first to know when the Garden has a new tour available for schools and other groups. Get details on arranging tours for your group.